Music legend Bonnie Raitt has been open about her guitar playing secrets, including how she developed her famous slide guitar style. In an interview with The Guardian, Raitt shared that it’s not something you can teach – it’s a feel that comes from listening and listening.
Raitt learned to play the guitar at nine years old by mimicking what she heard on the radio and records. She fell in love with slide guitar at 14 and began developing her signature style in college. A game-changing moment came when Lowell George, of Little Feat, showed her his MXR compressor pedal, which helped her achieve a longer-lasting tone.
As for performing one of her biggest hits, “I Can’t Make You Love Me,” Raitt says she never gets tired of singing it. She credits the songwriters with sending her the lyrics first and praises contemporary artists like Lola Young, Jason Isbell, Janelle Monáe, Chance the Rapper, Beyoncé, Kendrick Lamar, Olivia Rodrigo, and HER for their innovative music.
Raitt also cites Bob Dylan’s “The Times They Are A-Changin'” album as a major influence when she was starting out.
Source: https://www.musicradar.com/artists/i-switched-to-a-stratocaster-i-got-a-really-good-deal-in-the-middle-of-the-night-for-usd120-and-then-in-1972-lowell-george-showed-me-his-mxr-compressor-pedal-bonnie-raitt-on-how-she-developed-her-famous-slide-guitar-style